Today's Feature Exercise: Barbell Power Shrug

This is a great exercise for shoulder and neck development. With all of the focus on head injuries nowadays, you can go a long way to preventing these in your life by fully developing your neck and shoulders. Contact me to put together a program including this type of exercise.

Barbell Power Shrug	View Video
Exercise Description:
Place a bar on a power rack or on top of blocks. The bar should be at a height of approximately mid-thigh. Grasp the bar with an over-under alternating grip or a double overhand grip. Your hands should be slightly wider than your hips. Bend your knees just slightly and explosively shrug the bar up using your trapezius muscles and a quick punch with your legs. Maintain a strong posture throughout the lift. This exercise is excellent for developing powerful traps, and for maximizing the the second pull phase of the clean. If it's time to get serious about your fitness program, you need a structured program tailored to your goals and abilities. Using the world's most powerful online training tool, I can design and deliver a 12-week fitness program fully customized to your personal fitness goals, abilities, and time constraints. Features include:  Fully customized exercises, sets, reps and weights. Videos demonstrating proper technique for every exercise. Routines utilizing equipment available to you — home or gym! Personal contact with me anytime via built-in email system. Integrated feedback loop for precise program monitoring. For more information about my background fee structure and how to get started, go to US Sports Strength and Conditioning Just fill out the brief contact form to get started.

Virginia Union 73 - Bowie State 53 (WOMEN'S CIAA TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS) ... Story and Stats

Virginia Union Powers Past Bowie State’s Lady Bulldogs in CIAA Quarterfinals


CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Virginia Union University women's basketball team persevered through an early deficit to earn a 73-53 win over Bowie State University on Wednesday morning in Time Warner Cable Arena.  The Lady Bulldogs entered the game as the second seed out of the Northern Division with the Lady Panthers as the third seed from the North.

Virginia Union advances with an 11-15 record and will take on the winner of Wednesday's 2:40pm contest between Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith.  Bowie State ends their season with an 11-14 record.

Ashle Freeman led all players in the contest with 25 points in the win for Virginia Union.  Melyse Brown added 20 points while Jasmin Dancy chipped in 13 points to guide the team to victory.  Donia Naylor (Washington, D.C.) paced Bowie State with 20 points in the loss.  She also grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds (three offensive, 14 defensive).

"Virginia Union is a good ball club and they were more disciplined down the stretch than we were," stated Bowie State head coach Renard Smith.

Naylor opened up the contest with a jumper and Moriah Goodman (Baltimore, Md.) followed with a bucket to give the Lady Bulldogs a 4-0 lead early in the contest.  Brown put the Lady Panthers on the board with a score of her own at the 17:36 mark.  Uchechi Ahaiwe (Riverdale, Md.) completed the three-point play for the Lady Bulldogs to push Bowie State's lead to 7-2.

Freeman responded with a layup for Virginia Union to make the score 7-2 at the first media timeout.  A 3-0 run by the Lady Panthers made it a two-point game with 13:48 on the clock.

 Both teams exchanged baskets over the next three minutes of play until a jump shot by Dancy for the Lady Panthers put Virginia Union within one point (10-9).  Bowie State held on to a one point lead (12-11) heading into the second media time out of the contest.  Ashley Castle (Brooklyn, N.Y.) gave the Lady Bulldogs some cushion with a layup at the 7:02 mark.

With 5:31 left before halftime, Shahadah Barret hit a free throw and Lady Walker grabbed a rebound and put-back to give the Lady Panthers a 15-14 lead, their first of the game.

Down 18-17 with 3:49 left before halftime, Alessandra Flores' drove to the basket for a score for Bowie State, returning the lead to the Lady Bulldogs.  From there, Bowie State remained on top and held on to a 24-23 advantage heading into halftime.

Naylor's layup at the start of the second half put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 26-23.  Virginia Union resiliently battled back using a 4-1 run to knot the score 27-27 with 18:29 left in the game.
 The Lady Panthers and Lady Bulldogs traded leads over the next three minutes until a three-pointer by Freeman swung the momentum back to Virginia Union.

 Holding a 34-32 advantage, the Lady Panthers clung tightly to the lead.  Bowie State refused to go away quietly and remained close on Virginia Union's heels, never trailing by more than six points until the 4:53 mark.  Brown went to work at that point, draining two free throws and scoring two baskets to build the Lady Panther lead to 58-48 with 3:29 on the clock.

Virginia Union led by as many as 16 points (66-50) as late as the 1:22 mark before closing out the contest with the 73-53 victory.

Virginia Union vs Bowie State (2/26/14 at Time Warner Cable Arena - Charlotte, NC)



Official Basketball Box Score
Virginia Union vs Bowie State
2/26/14 10:00 am at Time Warner Cable Arena - Charlotte, NC


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Virginia Union 11-15
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
01 BROWN,Melyse........ *  6-11   1-4    7-8    2  8 10   1  20  5  4  0  3  38
04 FREEMAN,Ashle....... *  9-22   2-5    5-8    1  0  1   3  25  2  1  0  2  36
05 CARR,Stephanie......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   2
13 COWHERD,Carla....... *  1-5    0-0    0-0    2  3  5   0   2  0  2  0  2  21
15 BARRET,ShaHadah..... *  1-4    1-3    2-4    1  5  6   2   5  5  1  0  2  30
20 WALKER,Lady......... *  3-6    0-0    2-4    4  2  6   3   8  1  0  0  0  28
21 TATUM,Denesha.......    0-4    0-0    0-0    4  2  6   4   0  3  3  0  1  17
22 DANCY,Jasmin........    4-8    0-0    5-6    2  4  6   0  13  0  0  0  0  22
23 HOWARD,Sydney.......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  1  0  0   2
25 ROBINSON,April......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  2  1  0  1   4
   TEAM................                         2  5  7
   Totals..............   24-61   4-13  21-30  18 29 47  13  73 18 13  0 11 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  9-30 30.0%   2nd Half: 15-31 48.4%   Game: 39.3%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  0-8   0.0%   2nd Half:  4-5  80.0%   Game: 30.8%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  5-8  62.5%   2nd Half: 16-22 72.7%   Game: 70.0%    1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Bowie State 11-14
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
01 PHIPPS,Kiera........    1-3    1-2    0-0    1  0  1   0   3  1  1  0  1   9
02 SMITH,ReVen.........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  1  0  0   1
03 CASTLE,Ashley....... *  2-10   0-5    0-2    0  1  1   3   4  3  2  0  1  22
05 BURLEY,Alisha.......    1-6    0-2    0-0    0  0  0   3   2  2  2  0  0  22
10 FLORES,Alessandra...    3-6    1-2    0-0    0  0  0   0   7  0  1  0  0  10
21 NAYLOR,Donia........ *  8-15   1-3    3-3    3 14 17   3  20  1  1  0  0  35
22 MILES,Brooke........ *  1-4    0-1    2-2    1  2  3   4   4  1  1  0  0  23
23 McINTOSH,Jasmine....    1-6    0-1    3-5    2  1  3   3   5  2  3  0  2  18
24 CLYDE,Denver........    1-2    0-0    0-0    1  2  3   1   2  1  2  0  0  11
32 JACKSON,Alauna......    0-1    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   0   0  0  0  0  0   5
33 GOODMAN,Moriah...... *  1-2    0-0    1-2    1  3  4   2   3  1  1  0  2  29
34 BONAPARTE,Briana....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   1   0  1  0  0  0   1
55 AHAIWE,Uchechi...... *  1-1    0-0    1-1    0  0  0   1   3  0  3  0  0  14
   TEAM................                         1  2  3             1
   Totals..............   20-56   3-16  10-15  11 27 38  21  53 13 19  0  6 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  8-21 38.1%   2nd Half: 12-35 34.3%   Game: 35.7%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  0-7   0.0%   2nd Half:  3-9  33.3%   Game: 18.8%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  8-11 72.7%   2nd Half:  2-4  50.0%   Game: 66.7%    1

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Today's feature exercise: Hang Snatch High Pull

This week we focus on pull movements that can be applied to almost any sport (football, swimming, skiing). Incorporate the following exercise on the days that you are doing primarily pull movements.  

OLY - Hang Snatch High Pull	View Video
Exercise Description:
Begin this lift by placing your hands in an overhand grip with palms facing your body. The width of your hands should be 16-18 inches wider than the total width of your shoulders. Lift the bar off the ground, or from blocks, to a standing position. Slowly lower the bar down until it is positioned slightly above your knee caps. This is the "Hang" position. Remember to keep your shoulders over the bar at the start of the lift. Keep your back flat and chest up as you elevate the bar until it reaches the upper part of your thighs. This first pull phase is controlled and is only for getting the bar into the proper position for the second pull phase. The second pull phase is very explosive and is initiated by extending your hips through the bar completely, shrugging your shoulders up, and pulling the bar as high as possible. Lead this pull phase with your elbows so the bar stays close to your body. Return to the hang position and repeat for the required number of repetitions. Once the first repetition is done you do not have to lower the bar back down to the ground. Start the remaining reps from the hang position. If it's time to get serious about your fitness, you need a structured program. I'll tailor a program specific to your goals and abilities, that will contain: Fully customized workouts, listing: exercises, sets, reps and weights. Exercise videos and descriptions demonstrating proper technique for every exercise. A built in feedback system and email contact with me anytime. Using the world's most powerful online training tool I can design and deliver a 12-week fitness programfully customized to your personal fitness goals, abilities, and schedule. For more information about my background, fee structure and how to get started, go to: US Sports Strength and Conditioning Just fill out the brief contact form if you would like to get started. Contact Me: Nathan Lewis CSCS US Sports Strength and Conditioning US Sports Strength and Conditioning Train With Pro Athletes The Fat Burning Workout Everyone Is Talking About

Lady Bulldogs Softball Edges Paine College 11-9 to Earn First Win of the Season

RALEIGH, N.C. – Four Bowie State softball players had two hits each to help the Lady Bulldogs defeat Paine College 11-9 on Sundaymorning. The win sets the Lady Bulldogs record at 1-2 overall.

The Lady Bulldogs opened the game with four runs on three hits in the top of the 1st inning but left three on base. Paine’s Lady Lions answered with four runs of their own on three hits to end the first inning tied at 4-4.

Paine, a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, added one run in the second and three more runs in the third to double up Bowie State 8-4. The Lady Bulldogs went hitless in those two innings while the Lady Lions added five hits over the two frames.

The Bowie State bats came alive again in the top of the 4th inning, pounding out six hits and pushed four runs across the dish to knot the game at 8-all.

Paine’s Renee Pearsey belted a solo homer in the bottom of the 4th inning to shift the advantage back over to the Lady Lions at 9-8.

After two scoreless innings by both teams, the Lady Bulldogs plated three in the top of the 7th inning with a big leadoff triple by junior Cassandra Clayborne (Damascus, Md.) setting the table for the comeback.

Clayborne, senior Adria Lewis (Cumberland, Md.), junior Kiara Washington (Bowie, Md.) and freshman Hailey Bethke accounted for a pair of hits each for the Lady Bulldogs. Senior Mariela Hernandez (Del Rio, Texas) along with junior Megan Windsor (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and freshman Stefanie Ray (Damascus, Md.) recorded one hit apiece in the win.

Hernandez squared her season pitching record at 1-1, striking out eight over 5.2 innings. Windsor started the game and allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits while striking out one.

Bowie State vs Paine (Feb 23, 2014)

Box Score

BOWIE STATE LADY BULLDOGS 2014
Bowie State vs Paine
Feb 23, 2014 at Raleigh, NC (Walnut Creek Complex)

Bowie State 11 (1-2)

Player   ab       r       h     rbi      bb      so      po       a     lob
CLAYBORNE,Cassandra cf  4       3       2       1       1       0       1       0       6
BETHKE,Hailey c         5       2       2       1       0       0       8       2       0
RAY,Stefanie ss         3       3       1       0       2       0       1       2       0
WASHINGTON,Kiara lf     5       1       2       3       0       0       0       1       0
LEWIS,Adria 3b  4       1       2       0       1       0       1       3       1
ATKINS,Erica 1b/2b      3       1       0       1       2       0       4       1       2
LUNA,Miranda 2b         1       0       0       0       0       1       0       1       0
   HERNANDEZ,Mariela p  4       0       1       0       0       2       0       1       0
WINDSOR,Megan p/1b      4       0       1       2       1       0       5       0       2
FLINT,Hayley rf         2       0       0       1       2       0       1       0       1
Totals  35      11      11      9       9       3       21      11      12
 
Paine 9

Player   ab       r       h     rbi      bb      so      po       a     lob
Field c         4       2       3       1       0       0       4       1       0
Taylor,C. 3b    4       1       2       1       0       0       3       2       1
Baker 2b/p      4       1       1       0       0       0       2       1       0
Pearsey ss      4       2       1       1       0       1       2       4       2
Dotson dp/2b    4       0       0       1       0       3       0       0       0
White lf        4       1       0       1       0       1       0       0       0
Stanton cf      4       1       1       1       0       1       1       0       0
Conyers rf      3       1       1       0       0       1       0       0       1
Taylor,A. 1b    3       0       1       1       0       2       8       2       0
Dodson p        0       0       0       0       0       0       1       1       0
Totals  34      9       10      7       0       9       21      11      4
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Bowie State......... 400 400 3 - 11 11  3
Paine............... 413 100 0 -  9 10  4
-----------------------------------------
E - RAY,S.; LEWIS,A.; LUNA,M.; Taylor,C. 2; Baker; Pearsey. LOB - Bowie 12; Paine 4. 3B - CLAYBORNE,C.. HR - Pearsey. SB - CLAYBORNE,C.; RAY,S..
Bowie State     ip      h       r       er      bb      so      wp      bk      hbp     ibb     ab      bf      fo      go
WINDSOR,Megan    1.1    4       5       3       0       1       0       0       0       0       11      11      0       3
HERNANDEZ,Mariela W,1-1          5.2    6       4       1       0       8       0       0       0       0       23      23      3       5
 
Paine   ip      h       r       er      bb      so      wp      bk      hbp     ibb     ab      bf      fo      go
Dodson L         5.0    9       8       3       8       1       0       0       0       0       25      33      6       7
Baker    2.0    2       3       1       1       2       0       0       0       0       10      11      1       3
Win - HERNANDEZ,M. (1-1). Loss - Dodson (). Save - None. PB - Field 4. Inherited runners/scored: HERNANDEZ,M. 1/0.
Umpires -
Start: 11:15 am Time: 2:07 Attendance:

Bulldogs Senior Day Spoiled by 85-80 Regular Season Finale Loss against Elizabeth City State

BOWIE, Md. - Bowie State (14-13, 8-8 CIAA, 7-3 North) started hot but fizzled down the stretch and were beaten by Elizabeth City State 60-54 in the Bulldogs home finale. In spite of the loss, Bowie State captures the CIAA Northern Division crown by virtue of a Lincoln loss at Virginia State on Saturday evening.

Senior Ray Gatling (Oxon Hill, Md.) pumped in a game-high 22 points while senior teammates Carlos Smith (Baltimore, Md.) and David Golladay (Upper Marlboro, Md.) added 18 and 14 points respectively.

“We had a great pace to start the game, we defended and rebounded but didn’t sustain it”, said Bulldogs head coach Darrell Brooks. “You have to play halves … we didn’t and we have to move past this and focus on the CIAA Tournament!”

As with so many Bowie State games this season, the Bulldogs opened the game on a Smith dunk to start the scoring. Golladay followed with another dunk for an early 4-0 Bowie State lead. The Bulldogs lead didn’t last long as Elizabeth City State created the first tie at 6-all at the 16:40 mark of the opening period.

The Vikings took their first lead less than three minutes later courtesy of a 3-pointer by Miykael Faulcon (Durham, N.C.), but a triple by Bulldogs junior Cameron Knox (Baltimore, Md.) shifted the advantage back over to the home team at 19-17.

Bowie State put together a 15-2 run to take its largest lead of the afternoon at 35-19 with 7:36 left in the first half.

Elizabeth City State trimmed the Bowie State lead down to 47-40 by halftime mainly on the hot shooting of Faulcon and Darrell Ward (White Plains, N.Y.).  Faulcon and Ward closed out the first 20 minutes with 15 and 12 points respectively. The Vikings hit 16-of-35 first half field goals (45.7 percent).

Gatling scored a dozen points and Golladay added 10 points in the first half for the Bulldogs. As a team, Bowie State shot 58.6 percent from the field (17-of-29).

The Vikings whittled away at the Bulldogs lead, cutting it down to 54-52 on a 3-pointer by Glenn Patterson (Red Springs, N.C.) early in the second half. A Faulcon jumper at the 13:41 mark shifted the advantage back over to Elizabeth City State. A layup by DeCarlos Anderson (Portsmouth, Va.) pushed the Vikings lead to 60-55, forcing a Bowie State timeout.

The lead would change hands one time with the Bulldogs last lead coming at the 6:37 mark via a free throw by Gatling and Bowie State in front 70-69.

Elizabeth City State’s Ward sank a pair of free throws 58 seconds later, putting the Vikings in front to stay. In fact, the ECSU lead grew to eight (78-70) only to see the Bulldogs make an 8-1 run to pull within one at 79-78 with 36 ticks left on the clock.

However, the Vikings closed the game with a 7-2 run to avenge an earlier season loss to the Bulldogs.

Elizabeth City State (14-12, 9-7 CIAA, 6-4 North) was led by Faulcon with a team-high 21 points and Ward added 18 points. Jeremy Basnight (Currituck, N.C.) and LaShawn Alexander (Norfolk, Va.) recorded 15 and 14 points respectively in the win. Alexander led both teams in rebounding with nine.

The Bulldogs receive a first and second round bye before beginning play on Thursday (2/27) in the quarterfinals of the CIAA Tournament.

Lady Bulldogs Sweep Season Series at Top Elizabeth City State 60-54 on Senior Day

BOWIE, Md. – Bowie State got off to an extremely slow start but would not disappoint the seniors as the Lady Bulldogs rally to defeat Elizabeth City State 60-54 in the regular season finale. The win sets the Bowie State overall record at 11-13, 6-10 in the CIAA and 5-5 in the North heading into next week’s CIAA Tournament.

Junior Donia Naylor (Washington, D.C.) recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and a career-high 18 rebounds to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Juniors Denver Clyde (Glen Burnie, Md.) and Ashlie Castle (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 14 and 11 points respectively while graduate student Brooke Miles (Upper Marlboro, Md.) contributed 10 points.

“Determination got us back in this game … This was a team win and we made stops when needed”, said a happy Bowie State head coach Renard Smith.

Elizabeth City State (7-18, 4-12 CIAA, 4-6 North) jumped out to a 10-0 lead before Bowie State scored their first field goal at the 11:36 mark. Bowie State closed the gap to 19-14 by the 6:09 mark on a 3-pointer by senior Brooke Miles (Upper Marlboro, Md.).

The Lady Vikings took a 27-20 advantage into halftime on 7-of-27 shooting from the field. Elizabeth City State made 10-of-11 from the charity stripe and 3-of-9 behind the arc.

Bowie State’s Lady Bulldogs shot an identical 7-of-27 from the floor, which included 3-of-14 behind the 3-point line and 3-of-6 at the free throw line.

The Lady Bulldogs stepped up their game in the second half, erasing the halftime deficit a little a time before a Naylor 3-point play tied the game at 37-all at the 12:03 mark of the second half. Naylor gave Bowie State their first lead of the game (42-39) on the Lady Bulldogs next trip down the floor on a triple from the corner.

Bowie State extended their lead to 49-39 with 5:56 remaining on another Naylor field goal. A Clyde 3-pointer gave the Lady Bulldogs their largest lead of the afternoon at 56-45 with 2:16 left to play.

Elizabeth City State didn’t quit, cutting the Bowie State lead down to 56-52 with 1:05 on the clock, but would get no closer.

Elizabeth City State’s DaShera Boone (Newport News, Va.) led all scorers with 17 points to go along with three assists, one block and one steal. Jadda Jeffries (Burlington, N.C.) and Tyche’s Mozie (Washington, D.C.) chipped in 10 points each for the Lady Vikings.

The Lady Bulldogs await the CIAA Tournament pairings which will be announced Sunday (2/23).